Spoilers ahead for The Suicide Squad.
The Suicide Squad rather famously pushed the idea that anybody can die, no matter if they're a returning character, a newbie, or even played by an actor with a fun accent that a lot of people would have loved to see more of. So when a certain lover of violence (like that narrows it down) appeared to have bitten the dust late in the film, many assumed that was the end of their bloody journey. No, it's not that character. No, not that one either.
John Cena's Peacemaker created plenty of tension during the Jotunheim sequence when he attacked 2 team members in order to keep an explosive revelation secret. After fighting and killing Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag, leaving many fans shocked at the fact that they actually liked Rick Flag, he went after Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) who had witnessed the killing. Then Idris Elba's Bloodsport crashed through the ceiling just in time, delivering a pinpoint shot that took Peacemaker down. The thing is, that was originally supposed to be the end of Cena's character, at least until very late in production.
RELATED: The Suicide Squad: Easter Eggs And DC References
According to director James Gunn, the entire reason Peacemaker ended up surviving was due to the upcoming Peacemaker spinoff series being greenlit. "I didn't say I was going to do the TV show until after the movie was basically finished being cut," Gunn said in an interview with Collider. "So then I got asked to do the TV show, and then I said I would do it. Then when we started shooting the TV show, I shot the post-credit scene." So as much of a surprise as that final stinger scene was to the audience, it may have been just as big a surprise to the cast, who had already basically finished filming when the decision was made.
It's interesting to think about, particularly since many who have seen the film may not list Peacemaker among the characters they'd love to see again. Aside from the surprisingly heartfelt moments involving Sylvester Stallone's shark with a dad bod known as Nanaue, Melchior's Ratcatcher 2 seemed to capture the hearts of moviegoers everywhere with her compassionate personality and good-natured camaraderie with the rest of the team (her adorable rat friend was also a plus). That's not even to mention David Dastmalchian's Polka-Dot Man, who seemed to grow on everyone in the movie and out of it to the point where his abrupt death was arguably one of the saddest moments in the film.
But Peacemaker is the one who ended up with the spinoff, which suggests that Gunn has a lot of new developments in mind. Cena himself seems to have a lot of fun with the character, judging by how many times he's shown up to official events in his full Peacemaker outfit. So with all that in mind, it makes a bit more sense as to why he'll be the subject of the spinoff. It seems likely that it will be a sort of a redemption story, given the events of the movie. But this is Gunn who's in charge, and it's always a fool's errand to make assumptions when it comes to his stories.
In any case, it seems Gunn had wanted to do a Peacemaker spinoff right from the start, even if it wasn't approved until much later. So there's got to be a plan in place. Cena was definitely enjoyable in The Suicide Squad, so more of that character certainly can't be a bad thing overall.
MORE: Waiting For More 'Stranger Things'? This Underrated Sci-Fi Series Is Worth A Try
Source: Collider
